British defense secretary says conditions in Afghanistan must dictate extent of troop cuts

KABUL, Afghanistan — Britain’s defense secretary says any decision to draw down troops in Afghanistan should be based on security conditions around the country.

Liam Fox says he was not worried that a political debate raging in the United States would influence President Barack Obama’s decision on how many troops he will withdraw starting next month. There has been fresh congressional pressure on Obama to withdraw a significant number of U.S. troops.